


Something's Keeping Me Safe

by aleia



Series: Sweet Silver Lining [3]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M, Male Friendship, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24309052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleia/pseuds/aleia
Summary: Honestly half of this is just Buck and Josh being cute and the other half is dealing with Eddie's issues.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Josh Russo
Series: Sweet Silver Lining [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1731151
Comments: 14
Kudos: 138





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Both chapters are already written. They were too short for two fics but didn't fit together as one the way I wanted. So chapter 2 will be up really soon! <3

“You can’t get mad at me for this because then you’ll be a total hypocrite.” It’s probably not the best way to start the conversation, but Maddie’s at least a little susceptible to his puppy dog eyes.

“Really?” Maddie says. “No lead up? Just, I can’t be mad at you?”

“You love me, and I’ve been really lonely, and you want me to be happy.”

“You were Josh’s date,” Maddie says before he can tell her. “He was excited about a date yesterday, and I was surprised he was ready to try again already, but he said it was someone that he knew.”

“Yeah?” Buck can’t help smiling.

“Seriously, Buck? What is it with you dating people older than you?”

“He’s younger than Abby?”

“That doesn’t actually make me feel better because she was fifteen years older than you,” Maddie says.

“Maybe I’m just really mature for my age?”

Maddie’s expression tells him exactly what she thinks of that.

“You can’t be mad. You’re dating _my_ co-worker.”

Maddie sighs and pushes him down into a chair before sitting across from him.

“I’m not _mad_. I want you to be happy. And Josh is a nice guy. I just didn’t think he was your type.”

“I don’t have a type. He’s sweet and cute and likes to help people. I like him. _You_ like him.”

***

**Buck:** I’m SO sorry. Maddie’s being weird. She’s going to threaten you.  
 **Josh:** It’s fine. I saw that coming.  
 **Buck:** Seriously? It’s ridiculous.  
 **Josh:** You’re her baby brother. She worries. It’s fine.  
 **Buck:** This is so stupid.  
 **Josh:** It’s Maddie. Don’t worry about it. Have a good shift and be careful.  
 **Buck:** I’m always careful.  
 **Josh:** I saw you jump from one roof to the another on TV.  
 **Buck:** I did that CAREFULLY.

***

“So, you and Josh?”

Buck groans. He loves Maddie. He’s loves that she and Chimney are happy together. But it would be nice if she didn’t immediately text Chim about his date.

“We went on one date.”

“It was a good date.” Eddie says before Chimney can answer.

“Really? You’re gonna betray me like that?” Buck expects more from his best friend.

“You told everyone I was rude to Ana. This doesn’t even make us even. Besides, were you just going to keep him a secret?”

“No. But it was one date. A good date, but still just one date.” Buck can’t help smiling when he thinks about it though.

“Seriously, though, Buck,” Hen says as she comes in and leans against the lockers next to him. “What is it with you shooting ten years above your age?”

“He told Maddie that maybe he was just mature for his age,” Chimney tells everyone.

“Yeah, yeah. Funny,” Buck says while everyone laughs at him. “I still have stories about you that my sister doesn’t know about.”

“All right,” Bobby calls from outside the locker room. “Work while you make fun of Buck.”

“Thanks, thanks a lot,” Buck says as they file out to get assignments from Bobby. “You’re no help.”

“Two more dates and I’m going to expect him for dinner.”

***

**Buck:** I know I said you could pick the next date, but can I make a venue suggestion for tonight?  
 **Josh:** Of course. What were you thinking?  
 **Buck:** You, me, a couch somewhere with no disasters. I volunteer my couch because it’s very likely that I’ll fall asleep on you and then you can leave me there and sneak out if you want.  
 **Josh:** Are you okay? We can postpone if you need to.  
 **Buck:** I’m fine. All our calls were no big deal. We just had a lot of them. I don’t want to reschedule if you don’t want to. But if you don’t want to stay in and have me fall asleep on you again, we can reschedule.  
 **Josh:** I’m ok with it if you are. I do want to see you.

***

Buck pulls Josh inside and greets him with a kiss. If Josh thinks it’s too early for that, Buck will just claim that he’s delirious with exhaustion. But Josh’s hands come up to hold his face and the kiss deepens.

“Your sister told me I have to take you on at least three dates before I can _consider_ sleeping with you,” Josh says when he pulls back.

“Don’t listen to anything she says. She doesn’t even mean it. She’s just enjoying bothering you about it,” Buck says as he turns to lead the way into the apartment. “But if you’re going to, this counts as a date even though it doesn’t count as a date for other reasons.”

Josh laughs and doesn’t give Buck a chance to walk away. Instead, he pulls Buck backwards so that Buck’s back is against his chest. Buck relaxes against him as Josh wraps his arms around Buck’s waist. It’s not like he doesn’t get any physical affection from his friends, but there’s something about just being held that he’s missed without realizing it.

“So, for what reasons does it not count as a date?” Josh asks as he presses kisses under Buck’s jaw and behind his ear. Buck tilts his head back and sighs as Josh takes the invitation to continue his light kisses.

“Bobby says you have to come to dinner at his house after three dates. Eddie says he will invite himself and Chris if we want, but it’s about a fifty/fifty chance that he’ll just make it worse, so if Eddie or Bobby asks, this is not a date.”

“So,” Josh says as he walks them both forward. “It’s a date if you get impatient for sex, but not a date when it comes to meeting your family?”

Buck turns around in Josh’s arms, but Josh looks amused instead of upset.

“I’m just trying to save you from them. Only Christopher is innocent.”

“Noted.”

“Also, I won’t get impatient if you want to wait, _but_ I will encourage you to ignore Maddie’s threats.”

“I’ll consider it, _but_ you said you were tired, so we’re ordering food and if you start to fall asleep, I’m putting you in bed,” Josh says.

“Yeah?” Buck says as he steps closer.

“Yeah. And then I’m going home to sleep in my own bed.”

Buck groans as Josh laughs and kisses him quickly before moving away.

“You’re really going to listen to Maddie?” Buck asks as he follows Josh to the couch.

“Maybe I just think it’s cute the way you pout because you think you’re not going to get what you want.”

“Not cool. Very not cool.”

***

Buck should be embarrassed to be falling asleep on Josh again, but he’s too comfortable in Josh’s arms to feel anything negative about it. He doesn’t want to get up. He wants to stay on the couch and let Josh keep combing through his air.

“I think it’s getting to that time when I’m supposed to send you to bed,” Josh says.

Buck shakes his head and cuddles closer.

“I’m not going to let you fall asleep here. You’ll regret it,” Josh says. “You’re too tall for this couch even after I leave.”

When Buck doesn’t move, Josh kisses his forehead. “Get ready for bed and I’ll stay in bed with you a few minutes.”

Buck sits up, “Sorry. I’m being stupid. You don’t need to do that.”

Josh stands up after him and stops him from walking away.

“I wouldn’t offer if I thought you were being stupid. Go get ready for bed.”

“You don’t have to stay until I fall asleep,” Buck says after he crawls into bed. “I’m tired, but it’s been taking me forever to fall asleep lately. I don’t want to keep you up.”

Josh leans closer to kiss him before relaxing on his side facing Buck and running the back of his hand down Buck’s cheek. “It’s been a rough few weeks. I’ll stay for a few minutes. Close your eyes.”

“Okay. It’s not my fault if you fall asleep here,” Buck says as he rolls onto his stomach and settles with his arms under his pillow. He closes his eyes and tries to relax, smiling when Josh starts to rub his back.

When Buck wakes up hours later, he doesn’t remember Josh getting up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Buck:** In case you were wondering, I’m totally over you. Your chance has passed.  
**Eddie:** So, when is dinner at Bobby’s?  
**Buck:** Not happening.  
**Eddie:** Uh huh. Abuela wants to know if you’re coming to dinner Sunday.  
**Buck:** Of course. I miss her. She’s my second favorite person in your family.  
**Eddie:** Wow. Two dates with Josh and I’m knocked to third.  
**Buck:** Well, Abuela can feed me. I have to cook for you.  
**Eddie:** Wait. At the risk of sounding absolutely horrible…are you not going to cook for me anymore?  
**Buck:** rotflmao. I cook for Christopher. You can still eat if you’re there.  
**Eddie:** I’ll take it.

***

Christopher falls asleep in the backseat when they’re driving home from Abuela’s house on Sunday. Buck can tell Eddie’s going to say something serious because he’s said random things to try to get a reaction out of Chris to test if he’s really asleep.

“Thanks for coming tonight,” Eddie says which doesn’t make any sense.

“Your Abuela is slowly teaching me your family recipes instead of you. I _wanted_ to go. I always want to go to Sunday dinners when we don’t have to work. Why are you thanking me?”

Eddie glances away from the road to look at him before saying, “I guess I was worried things with us might change.”

“I’m the one who came out. I’m the one who told you I’d been interested in you. Shouldn’t I be the one worrying that you’re going to be weird?” Buck thought it was fine. Until now, maybe.

“Yeah. I know. But you’re part of my family. I guess I was worried that you wouldn’t want that anymore if you weren’t going to get… _more_.”

“Did you miss my entire freak out two weeks ago?” Buck asks. “Maddie is the only biological family I have, and she’s left me twice. I’m not leaving your family unless you kick me out.”

“I’m never going to do that. Never.”

“Then we’re good. Seriously. I’m not going to ditch you guys for Josh. I promise.”

Eddie nods and they fall into silence until Eddie parks in front of his house.

“Can you come in for a bit?” Eddie asks. “There’s just something I’ve wanted to tell you. It’s not about you being bisexual. I thought about telling you after Red’s funeral, but then we got distracted.”

“With me being bisexual?” Buck finishes for him with a smile.

“Yeah, with that.”

***

“ _That_ is fucked up. _I’m_ your family and I will claim your Abuela and your aunt, but your parents can fuck all the way off.”

They’re sitting in Eddie’s living room. Chris is asleep. It’s the only reason Buck’s not yelling.

“I wasn’t doing the best job with Chris. They were right about that,” Eddie says.

“No. No, they were not right,” Buck tells him. “Was Shannon right that you didn’t really do right by her? Maybe. I will give her that. You left and then she left and you both did noble things during that time, but you both made mistakes. You were young and you _both_ dealt with things badly.”

Buck moves so they’re facing each other and squeezes Eddie’s knee.

“But you tried. After Shannon left, you tried so hard. You were working. You were trying to make up for it. You were trying to figure things out. And because they were retired and could stay home to help with Christopher while you worked to pay for everything, they thought they got all the credit? No. Eddie, when I met you, there was never, ever a doubt from anyone about how much you loved him. Never. And Christopher obviously loves you so much. I got Carla to help you because you needed some help. That doesn’t mean Carla or I should be his parents. What your parents said is garbage. If anything ever happens to you, I’m getting a lawyer and starting a giant custody battle for Christopher because he doesn’t need that toxic shit in his life.”

Eddie’s laugh turns into a sob so quickly that it takes Buck a few seconds for it to register. Then he pulls Eddie up so that he can hold him.

“I’m not joking,” Buck says as he holds Eddie in a tight hug. “ _That_ is not how you help someone. I’m an expert on shitty parents. Compare them to Bobby and Athena and it will become very clear. Or just compare them to yourself because you’re a great dad Eddie. You’re a great dad.”

Eddie nods against him before he pulls away and wipes his face.

“If something happens to me you should tell Christopher about this plan right away before my parents get to him. He’ll want to be with you, and he can be a terror to live with when he thinks that he has a good reason.”

“Yeah, well, don’t die. That’s the best plan,” Buck says while Eddie walks away from him to get a tissue and blow his nose.

“Yeah. I was thinking that, too,” Eddie comes back and goes to sit on the couch. Buck follows him and sits close to him. It’s probably breaking normal bro rules about how close they should sit together, but those rules are stupid. Eddie clearly doesn’t mind because he leans into Buck’s shoulder.

“Thanks,” Eddie says. “This is why I was worried about things changing. I need you to be my family, too.”

“Nothing to worry about.”

“Josh is okay with that?”

“He’s going to have to be because I’m not ditching you guys for him. But yeah, I really think he is. He asks about you, but not in a jealous way. Just like he knows you’re important and wants to know how you’re doing. Especially after the whole buried alive thing. Which you _are_ talking to Frank about, right?”

Buck has his own long list of things to talk about in therapy, but Eddie’s might be just as long now that Buck has this new information.

“Yes. He suggested that I talk to you about my parents. I thought I should wait longer after you came out, and he said something about how friendship going both ways was healthier for both of us.”

“Good.”

“And I like Josh,” Eddie adds. “He seems like a really good guy.”

Buck looks away and leans back because he can’t stop the smile that’s spreading over his face. “He is Eddie. He’s really great.”

“Does he know that he has to go to dinner at Abuela’s house, too?”

“Oh my god. Give him a break. He’s not even my boyfriend, yet.”

"Yet?" Eddie asks and Buck doesn't have to look at him because the smirk is obvious in his voice. "Sounds like you're feeling pretty confident about it."

***

 **Buck:** Thanks for not being weird about Eddie and Christopher and getting why they’re so important to me.  
**Josh:** Why would I be weird about Eddie and Christopher?  
**Buck:** No reason, but come on, some people would be.  
**Josh:** *Should* I be?  
**Buck:** No! Of course not. There’s nothing going on that you should be jealous or weird or worried about.  
**Josh:** I know. And I know why they’re important to you. Is everything okay? This was kind of random.  
**Buck:** He was a little worried that since I wasn’t getting more from him, I’d pull away or something. He’s still dealing with things that came up because of the whole buried alive thing.  
**Josh:** You know I don’t expect you to do that, right? He’s your best friend. I know that.  
**Buck:** I know. I didn’t say that because I thought you would. I was just feeling really lucky that you’re so great.  
**Josh:** You’re sweet. I’m just as lucky.

**Author's Note:**

> Maddie is 90% joking about the 3 dates.
> 
> Also her shovel talk went something like this:  
> Maddie: I love you but I just want to make sure you realize that when Buck really dates someone he falls fast. Everyone thinks he's just this dumb playboy but when he's serious, he's really serious.  
> Josh: I know. I knew Abby. You know that right?  
> Maddie: Okay, we're cool then.


End file.
